Reverse gear



T. L. FAWICK July 17, 1951y REVERSE GEAR Filed June 1'7, 1947 NPL,

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THOMAS L. FAW/CK NVENTOR BY' Q15@ QS/ t ATTORNEY taining the plates of the respective clutches in assembled relation.

Interposed between and meshed with the two bevel gears 40 and 4I are circumferentially spaced bevel gears such as the gear 42, each of which is mounted, with a radial roller-bearing `43 and a radial-and-thrust ball bearing 44, upon a central stud 45 formed integrally with and -projecting inward from `a strong base-plate closure member 46 which fits in the counter-sink of, and serves as a closure for, a hole formed in the housing I0.

For engaging the clutches 29 and 30 alternatively they are provided with respective push rings 41, 48, splined on the shaft I3 and adapted to be forced axially thereof by the inner race of a radial-and-thrust bearing 49 of which the outer race is secured by a flange 50 and a snap ring I within an annular member 52 which is formed on its outer face with an annular piston flange 53.

The outer face of the annular member 52, at each side of the piston flange 53, is slidably sealed, by a sealing ring 54, to the cylinder-head elements 55, 56 of an annular-chamber cylinder member 51 which is externally formed with circumferentially spaced studs, such as the stud 58, which fit respectively in recesses formed in the inner end faces of the gear-axle studs 45.

The outer face of the annular piston flange 53 is slidably sealed to the cylindrical inner face of the cylinder member 52 by a sealing ring 59.

Circumferentially spaced pairs of compression springs 60, 60 are mounted between the piston ange 53 and the respective cylinder-head elements 55 and 56 to impel the piston structure back to its middle, neutral, position upon release of fluid pressure holding it in either of its clutchengaging positions.

Preferably the cylinder-head element 56 is formed integral with the cylinder member 51 and the cylinder-head element 55 is screwed into the cylinder member so that it can be removed for disassembly of the parts.

For charging the right-hand end of the cylinder, to engage the forward-drive clutch 29, a port in that part of the cylinder as shown is in communication, through a passage 6I in the cylinder member and its stud 58, with a passage 62 extending through the stud 45 and its base plate 46, a sealing ring 63 being mounted between the stud 58 and the wall of its socket in the stud 45. The passage 62 leads from an internally threaded socket 62a in the outer face of the plate 46 and adapted to be connected to a suitable source (not shown) of pressure fluid.

For charging the left-hand end of the cylinder, to engage the reverse-drive clutch 30, a port in that part of the cylinder, shown in the lower part of the drawing, is in communication with an internally threaded boss 64 adapted to be connected with a suitable source of pressure fluid by means (not shown) extending through the wall of the housing.

The housing IIJ preferably is of one-piece, fullcircle, annular, form, and annular closure members 65 and 66 are bolted to its respective ends. The member 65 has a roller bearing 61 and an oil-sealing ring 68 mounted between it and the gear-mounting ring I 8. The end-closure member 66 has an oil-sealing ring 69 mounted between it and the driven shaft I3, and it serves as a clamping member for the outer race of the large radial-and-thrust bearing I6.

That bearing race is formed with an. Q11 llQle 10 communicating, through a circumferential groove on its outer face, with a threaded socket 1I in the wall of the housing for supplying oil to the parts within the housing, and the housing is provided, at a low position, with an oildrain passage 12.

The construction as described is such that the assembling operation can be as follows:

First bearing 34 and the numerous clutch, piston, cylinder and gear members, other than the radial-axis gears 42 and their mountings, are mounted on the driven shaft I3 in the open, by being slid onto it in proper order from the left, after which the gear-mounting ring I8 is bolted to the gear 4| and the gear-mounting 36 is bolted to the gear ring 40 while the sub-assembly is still unobstructed.

The sub-assembly thus prepared can be inclusive of the bearing 34, the flanged bushing 31 and its flanged ring 38, and the flanged bushing 31a and its flanged ring 38a.

This sub-assembly is then moved into the housing member I0, from the left, the flanged ring 38 is secured to the inner face of the housing by the bolts 39, and the end-closure member 55, with its bearing 61 and oil-sealing ring 68, is placed on the hub of the gear-mounting ring I8 and it and the flanged ring 38a are secured to the housing member I0 by the bolts 39a.

Then the large radal-and-thrust bearing I6 is mounted upon the shaft I3 and within the housing member I 6, from the right, and the endclosure member 66 is put in place and bolted to the casing member I0, thus securing the outer race of that bearing in its shouldered seat in the housing member I0, after which the head I4 is mounted upon the shaft.

Then the coupling member I9, with the spring 29 and its thrust-bearing 2l interposed between it and the shaft I3, and with the rubber-bushing assemblies 25, 26, 21 mounted upon it, is assembled with and bolted to the gear-mounting member I8.

The housing I0, with the parts thus assembled with it, is then mounted, by means of its bolting flange II, upon the crank-case of the motor, the coupling member I9 being given such rotative position that the studs 25 seat in their sockets in the ily-wheel I2, in which they are then secured by means of the bolts 21, manipulated through the hand holes in the housing which are later closed by the cover-plates 28.

The proportions of the parts are such that as the coupling member I9 is mounted upon the hub of the gear-mounting ring I8, the thrust spring 20 is so preloaded as to sustain at least a substantial part of the propeller thrust and to that degree to relieve the bearing I6 of forwarddrive thrust load.

Sufficient end-play can be present in the bearing I6 to provide substantial cushioning of the thrust.

The proportions are such that when the large bearing I6 and the end-closure member 66 are mounted as described the cylinder structure and adjacent parts can be given symmetrical positions for reception of the radial-axis gears 42, pre-assembled with their respective mountings inclusive of the respective closure-plates 46. Those assemblies are then put in place, with the gears 42 meshing with the gears 40 and 4I, and the studded plates 46 are bolted in place.

In the operation of the assembly, the fly-wheel I2 being driven, always in the same direction, charging the right-hand end of the cylinder 51 engages the clutch 29 and imparts forward drive to the shaft i3 by directly connecting it with the constantly driven gear 4|, the clutch 30 being disengaged by Venting of the left-hand end of the cylinder, and the gear 40 idling.

Charging the left-hand end of the cylinder, with venting of its right-hand end, engages the clutch 30 and thus causes the shaft to be driven in reverse direction, through the reversing idlers 42.

When both ends of the cylinder are Vented, the springs '60 move the piston to neutral position, disengaging both of the clutches and thus disconnecting the shaft I3 from the fly-wheel.

Modifications are possible without sacrice of all of the advantages set out in the above statement of objects and without departure from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A gearing assembly comprising a radialaxis gear, a gear-case member having an opening at the position of said gear, an axle stud for said gear having a base constituting a closure member for said opening, and an annular-chamber cylinder-and-piston structure radially inward from said gear and having on its outer periphery means" for interlocking it with said axle stud, by radial movement of said stud, against relative axial movement.

2. A gearing assembly comprising a pair of coaxial gear structures, a pair of clutches between said gear structures and adapted to be engaged to activate the gear structures respectively, and means between the gear structures for selectively engaging the clutches, said means comprising an annular-chamber cylinder structure of U-shape in cross-section, open at its radially inner side, an annular piston structure which is of T-shape in cross-section, the stem of the T being slidably sealed to the inner face of the base of the U and each arm of the head of the T being slidably sealed to a leg of the U, and thrustbearing means radially within the circle of the inner periphery of the cylinder member for transmitting the pistons force axially to the clutches.

3. A gearing assembly comprising a pair of coaxial bevel gears facing each other, a set of bevelgear idlers each meshed with the two said gears, a mounting including inwardly projecting radial axles for the idlers, forward and reverse clutches between said coaxial gears and adapted to be engaged alternatively to activate the said coaxial gears selectively, cylinder-and-piston means between the coaxial gears for engaging the clutches alternatively, and anchorage means on the cylinder-and-piston means and having interlock relation to the axles of the idlers for sustaining the operating thrust of the cylinder-and-piston means.

THOMAS L. FAWICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 856,763 Brooks June 11, 1907 857,393 Hagman June 11, 1907 1,298,401 Ricardo Mar. 25, 1919 1,470,572 Holmes Oct. 9, 1923 1,569,008 Dodge Jan. 12, 1926 1,866,127 Persons July 5, 1932 1,946,439 Heller Feb. 6, 1934 2,018,794 Kremser Oct. 29, 1935 2,055,970 Fippard Sept. 29, 1936 2,083,059 Fageol June 8, 1937 2,158,054l Bradbury May 16, 1939 2,372,625 Denton Mar. 27, 1945 2,377,468 Venditty June 5, 1945 2,385,369 Nekamp Sept. 25, 1945 2,406,417 Viviano Aug. 27, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 41,842 The Netherlands Oct. 15, 1937 48,980 Denmark Jan. 17, 1933 

